Ocean-going barge carrier



May 9 1967 F'. A Nar/mc 355%,276

OCEAN-GOING BARG CARRIER Filed Oct. 22, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet l lilllllltllllll lNvf-:NTOR FRANK ANEMEC naad* am.'

ATTORNEYS May 9, 1967 F. A. NEMB g OCEAN-GOING BARE (JAHR l ln' Filed Oct. 22, 1965 '7 Sheets$heet 2 MAIN BECKAL HQ. 4 --L- 4--55'-o MLB. HALF BBEABTH SECOND BECK- UPPER BARBE BECK/Q "www L L J J J J J J J STANCHLBN LONBL. BHD. L L I :Lo '5% wBLL BECK J 1B j BALLAST l.. ..1 J .I J J J :o JL BBB.

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May 9, 1%? E. A. MEME-:E: 3.318,276

OCEAN-GOING BARGE CARRlER Filed Oct. 22, 1955 '7 Sheets-Shee 5 ELEvAToR PLATEORN. HoTT/s STERN GATE NolsT 2 i 3 mw 7 IJ/ l Y T M 13 SUPERSTRURTNRE DECK n9 To HN T2g E j @@wwl@ N11 U1 111 HI 8 f! UPPER BARRE NECK 72. 6.. (RANGE ELEvAToR RLATF0RN,| n @MDLEW BRG Dffk@ f,

' STERN GATE T226' LOWER BARRE NECK J muuu nun/uumuuuun ummm UENEJDDDETDETETET una' Uuuumuuuuuu umu* uuuuuuuuuu uuu ETUETET'ETETETETETD uuu uuunuuunuu la T lNvENToR FRANK A. NENEC May 9, 1967 F. A. INI-:MEC

OCEAN-GOING BARGE CARRIER Filed Oct. 22, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 RATCHET- PAWL LOCKING DEVICE NACNETIC -DIsC BRAKE ALTERNATINC CURRENT sYNCNRoNous INDUCTION NCToR 63 suPERsTRuCTuRE DECK INVENTOR I FRANK A NENEC A May 9, i967 F. A. NEMEC OCEAN-GOING BARGE CARRIER 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 22, 1955 May 9, A967 F. A. NEM@ n 3,318,276

OCEAN-GOING BARGE CARRIER Filed Oct. 22, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Y' AAA-[ill @DE E E :1 @A It 3 A |I CD m Eg ,Il '2 :rl

/' IJ J INVENTOR FRANK A. NEMEC "vl [l 4 ATTORNEYS May 9, 1967 r. A. NEMEC 3,318,276

OCEAN-GOING BARGE CARRI. ER

Filed oct. 22, 1965 7 sheets-sheet 7 n INVENTOR FRANK A. NEMEC ATTORNEYS United States Patent (')iiiice 3,3l8,276 Patented May 9, 1957 3,318,276 QCEAN-GOING BARGE CARRIER Frank A. Nemec, New Orleans, La., assigner to Lykes Bros. Steamship Co., Inc., a corporation of Louisiana Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 503,631 6 Claims. (Cl. 114-435) This application is a continuation-inpart of copending United States application Ser. No. 416,053, filed Dec. 4, 1964, now abandoned. v

This invention relates to a marine carrier and, more specically, to an ocean-going ship constructed so that its cargo may consist of barges, that is to say, relatively small vessels suitable for inland or costal waters. Its construction is such that numerous such barges may be onloaded and oil-loaded by means of lloating them into and out of one of a plurality .of submerged, ilooded decks of the ship before and after transport.

An object of this invention is to supply means -by which barges of a variety lof constructions and configurations may be transported across large bodies of water at greater economy.

Another object of this invention is to allow speed and ease in on-loading and oit-loading trans-oceanic cargo.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means `by which the stability of a multi-deck locean-going vessel may be assured during su-bmergence for on-loading and oit-loading as well as at sea.

A further object of this invention is to provide an alternative method of ron-loading and ofi-loading by which unusually deep submergence may be avoided.

Other more speci-c objects of this invention will appear as reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURES 1-4 represent one embodi-ment and FIGURES A-14 represent a further embodiment.

FIGURE 1 represents a vertical, longitudinal cross-section through a carrier according to my invention taken along its center line.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional plan of the can rier of FIGURE 1 taken at its second storage deck level.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional plan similar to FIGURE 2 taken at the well deck level.

FIGURE 4 represents a portion of a vertical, transverse cross-section through a carrier taken in a plane perpendicular to the centerline at a point approximately midship.

FIGURE 5A is a portion of a vertical, longitudinal cross-section through a carrier taken along its centerline showing an at-sea position of certain loading equipment.

FIGURE 5B is a portion of a vertical, longitudinal cross-section through a carrier taken along its centerline showing a loading position of certain loading equipment.

FIGURE 6 is a portion of an upper barge deck viewed from above showing an at-sea position for certain loading equipment.

FIGURE 7 is a vertical, transverse cross-section through a carrier taken in a plane perpendicular to the centerline at a point near its stern.

FIGURE 8 represents a syncrolift hoist.

FIGURE 9 represents a locking device of a syncrolift.

FIGURE 10 represents a portion of a vertical, transverse cross-section through a carrier taken in a plane perpendicular to the centerline at a point approximately midship.

FIGURE 11 is a portion of an upper barge deck viewed ,from above showing certain barge handling equipment.

FIGURE 12 represents a cross-section view of certain barge handling equipment.

FIGURE 13 represents certain barge handling equipment viewed -from above.

FIGURE 14 represents a cross-section view of a roller.

The desirability of reducing the time involved in loading a cargo ship is great. As perhaps 50 -percent of a ships time is spent in port, a significant reduction yof its loading time could free that ship to a much more produc-v tive operating schedule. The primary embodiment of this invention contemplates that a complete loading and unloading operation, including `ballasting and deballasting, can be accomplished in approximately six to eight hours. This co-uld reduce the typical cargo handling port time from 50 percent to l() percent of a voyage.

As a result of a greater percentage of productive shipping time, fewer ships would be required t-o do the same amount of shipping. Hence, two barge carriers might prove able to carry the cargo load of tour or more conventional cargo ships in the same overall shipping time.

Furthermore, the barge carrier would reduce cargo handling costs by allowing direct loading onto barges, with the likelihood that much of this car-go loading operation could be undertaken during straight time hours, thereby minimizing overtime and premium pay.

With the concept of this invention, barges of varying sizes and shapes can be handled ,from a limited number lof gathering -or terminal ports with coast-Wise distribution being made by relatively inexpensive tugs, thereby enabling a large reduction in the num-ber of ports of call. This is an additional factor of overall productivity increase of barge carriers over conventional ships, tending to further reduce the average transit time for cargo. v

Previously, it had been suggested that barges be transported aboard ocean-going ships. In some cases, the barges were loaded into compartments on a deck level, limiting the sizes and shapes lof the banges that could be handled as well as creating the problem of ballast balancing asymmetrical loads of barges. In U.S. Patent No. 1,533,776 to Tiburtius, issued Apr. 14, 1925, a single large central deck well free of obstructions to movement and storage was proposed; and, even though an additional feature was that its loading opening was as wide as its Well Width, a necessary feature to the total disclosure was the cushioning of the cargo barge on water kept constantly at the outside water-line level during transportation `by an unsealed opening in the loading gate which severely limited the size and shape of suitable barges due to the water-shifting problem. Additionally, as the solution to the water-shifting problem was the positioning of a number of adjustable doors to form smaller water compartments, the time consumed in positioning a cargo barge of slightly unusual shape was very wasteful.

A more recent disclosure lby Baer in U.S. Patent No. 2,134,352, issued Oct. 25, 1938, limited itself to cargo barges of the size and shape that could be -lloated through a loading opening much narrower than the width of the storage deck well.

All of these previous problems have been greatly alleviated by the present invention. Barges of greatly varying sizes and shapes can be loaded and transported, as such a unit of the greatest width capable of fitting within the storage deck well can be floated through the deck loading opening of at least the upper-most deck. The cargo barges can be positioned on the storage deck so that ballast balancing is minimized or eliminated, saving loading time. As this invention requires no water cushion for the transported barges, the water-shifting problem has been eliminated. This also eliminates the need for doors or Y river barge.

other devices along the bulkheads enclosing the storage deckwell, or elsewhere, to prevent water-shifting. Since there is no storage deck well water level to be kept at the level of the water outside the vessel, this outside water may be completely sealed oli? from the interior of the vessel, and a plurality of storage decks is made possible. Moreover, the overall simplicity of the storage deck coniguration reduces necessary service and repair time to a minimum.

My invention is a marine carrier comprising a hull and a plurality of storage decks. Specically, the carrier may be a ship or vessel of suicient size and displacement to enable asafe ocean crossing. The external shape of the vesselis not a characteristic of the invention, but generally the more streamlined vessel is better suited to my purposes.A However, any hull shape suitable to ocean travel is permissible. yThe number of storage deckssuitable for storing ycargo Vbarges is dependent on the stability of the vessel and the other types of cargo sought to be transported. They can be open lor closed to the weather so long as there is no danger of shipping water in dangerous quantities or sufficient means are provided to discharge this water. The upper-most deck may have a loading opening as wide as the width extremities of that storage deck well, so that the widest cargo unit that could be stored in the deck well can be lioated into it. The lower decks are slightlymore restricted, as the widest cargo unit that may be floated into their storage wells and positioned therein must be able to pass between one of the longitudinal bulkheads of that. deck well and the mid-ships supporting stanchions, if used, extending vertically between these lower storage decks at intervals fore and aft roughly along the centerline of the vessel. more units vare narrow enough to be stored side byside in the storage deck well, they may be oated in and positioned together instead of separately. These barges may Y LVbe fastened together and on-loaded and ofi-loaded in that manner onto a storage ydeck ykept free of supporting stanchi-ons. VAnd, two or more of these unfastened barges may be loaded simultaneously to either side of the stanchion rowonto a deck having such supporting stanchions. By this procedure, considerable loading and unloading time may besaved. 1

In the embodiment shown in FIGURES`l-4, the carrier vessel must have means for submerging it to any selected level `down to that lowest level necessary for subme-rging If two orv the highest storage deck. Common ballast tanks which f can he filled, with a convenient liquid, possibly sea water, to cause the overall displacement of the ship to increase or decreaseas the ballast tanks are lled or emptied, may beused. They may be positioned throughout the ship so as best to utilize its sensitivity to balance fore and aft and laterally. 'Ihey'must be so positioned that the metacenter i ofthe shipwill always be above the ships center of gravityto assure stability while on-loading and ott-loading as well as `at sea. In my invention this has been accomplished by designing the position ofthe ballast tanks so that by llooding the higher ballast tanks the center of gravity of the ship is raised, and conversely, by liooding theY lower ballast tanks the ,center of gravity of the ship is lowered. Thus, sufficient ballast may be taken on properly to submerge the ship for on-loading or oliloading while its stability is assured by the placement of the. ballast.-

The cargo vessels may be of varying sizes and shapes, the most common of which is the ordinary 'rectangular One of the great advantages of this inventionV is that units of widely different sizes and shapes may be transported in the storage decks.

This embodiment of my invention includes a storage area on each storage deck bounded on both sides by flat, essentially parallel bulkheads set .apart byat least half the overall exterior width of the vessel. The uppermost deck storage area, if kept vtree of support stanchions, will allow a cargo unit almost as wide as this space to enter one end of the storage deck and be floated to its position of storage at the other end of the storage deck completely free of any obstruction to movement. Two or more narrower cargo units, which, when fastened together are not so wide as this storage space, may be oated on or off and'positioned as a unit.

Additionally, my invention contemplates a means for watertight sealing at least that storage deck adjacent to the operating water line so that while operating the vessel at sea, there will be no seeping or shipping of water onto the storage deck that could cause a dangerous imbalance in the carrier vessel. Of course, higher decks could be similarly sealed if so desired. Any appropriate means for such sealing can be used, lsuch as a gate, d-oor or doo-rs, collapsiblepanels, and the like. 'Ihe means shown in the drawings of FIGURES l and 3 is a gate attached to the vessel deck at its lower edge and held in place by means that allow its upper edge to be raised roughly vertically above its lower edge to seal or lowered to a level roughly in a plane with the deck to allow ooding and free oatation of the cargo units over the storage deck plane. i

I have selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings a specific example of a carrier vessel according to this embodiment of my invention some 740 long and 110 in beam. When trimmed and loaded for an ocean voyage, the vessel would have a draft of some 30. The lower cargo deck would then be only a foot or two above the water line, while upper cargo deck A would be 24 higher.

'In operation in order to accommodate barges having a normaldraft on upper deck A, the Vessel would have to be ballasted to a loading draft of some 60. This deep submergence exceeds the details normally available Viu the major ports of the World and it is contemplated that special loading basins will have to be dredged to depths o greater than 60 at each terminal port serviced by a carrier vessel of this embodiment of my invention. The v same deep submerge'nce also poses a severe stability problem during onand off-loading. It is a feature of my invention that in addition to ballast tanks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, I provide high-rise wing tanks 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 at the sides ot the lower cargo well deck to insure this stability and its controllability. It will be noted in FIGURE 4' that these wing ballast tanks extend from the bottom of the vessel to a point about 7.5 above the level of the upper barge deck in the specific example il lustrated by FIGURE 4.

A specic improvement embodied in this invention is the construction of the essentially rectangular, unobstructed storage deck well A (FIGURES l and 2) with its loading opening C (FIGURES 1 and 2) of a width at least as great as the deck well. As the water-tight gate B (FIGURES l and 3) issealed yto keep out sea water during avoyage, a similar gate could lbe supplied the other open decks, if desired. The type gate shown is merely a convenient means for sealing the loading opening, and theconcept of invention is not limited to this type.

Another speciiic improvementexempliiied Iby the positioning of t-he ballast tanks 1-15 (FIGURES l and 3) in this embodiment is that by this conguration a vessel having two storage decks -as is shown by the drawings of FIGURES 1-4 is thereby made stable while on-loading and oit-loading :as well as at sea. Each of these rballast tanks is separately fitted with means that will allow them to be filled or emptied independent of such other tanks. Thus, balance can be finely controlled. In order to assure lthe greatest stability during on-loading operations. the lowest ballast tank may :be filled first, with progressive illing up to the highest tank. This procedure would be reversed during lolf-loading.

In a further embodiment shown in FIGURES 5A-l4, I have provided an alternative method of on-loading and off-loading `barges by which unusually deep submergence,

of the vessel may be avoided. By this method, many more ports of call may be utilized, enabling wider use of the overall concept of overseas barge delivery.

Broadly, this further embodiment includes a lifting device, such as an elevator, that can be alternatively submerged and raised to the uppermost barge storage deck. FIGURE A shows such a lifting device in its fully elevated position. The Ibarge elevator platform 1 is fitted with many rollers 13 of the type shown in -greater detail by FIGURE 14. It is attached to elevator platform hoists 2, 3, 4 and S of the type shown in greater detail by FIGURES 8 and 9 by cables 9, 10, 11 and 12. By this arrangement, the barge elevator platform can be raised to a level ofv the uppermost barge deck (FIGURE 5A) and lowered to a level of submergence Ibelow the water to a dept-h sufficient to allow ybarges to be oated onto it (FIGURE 5B).

In FIGURE 5B the barge 20 is shown as bein-g floated over the barge elevator platform 1. Once the barge is in position, the platform can be lifted by the hoists 2, 3, 4 and 5 and others utilizing cables 9, 10, 11, and 12 and others to a position level with any -of the barge decks. In order to load :barges on the lower barge deck, the stern gate 6 has to be opened. The means for opening this gate include a stern 4gate hoist 7 connected to the gate by ca'ble 8. Ihe gate can be opened by lowering it for onloading or olf-loading. FIGURE 5B shows barge 21 being carried forward after bein-g loaded in this manner.

FIGURE 6 shows the barge elevator platform 1 level with the upper barge deck and indicates the number and positions of rollers that cooperate with roller 13 in allowing easy positioning of the barges. FIGURE 6 also shows the approximate symmetry of hoists 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 `with 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 as they are att-ached to the ship 14.

FIGURE 7 shows Ihow rollers may be positioned on the bulkheads of each storage deck as Well as on the center stanchions if they are used. Such rollers are shown as 50 and 51 and are positioned so to yaid in handling barge 52. The elevator platform hoists referred to as shown in greater detail in FIGURES 8 and 9 include Ia drive motor 60 used to drive a rotatable drum 61 which lifts the elevator platform 62 'by means of cable '63. This hoist may be locked or unlocked by means of a rachet kwheel 70 and its cooperating piston pawl 71.

FIGURES l0, 1l, 12 and 13 show the equipment that can be used to move the barges from the barge elevator platform to their storage position on one of the barge decks where they can be secured for sea. FIGURE 12 shows the detailed components of a carria-ge which may be used to tow each Ibarge to its respective storage position. This carriage includes a basic structural member 36 to which six rollers (see FIGURE 13) are attached so that the axes of rotation of all three lie in a common plane with two -of these axes parallel and the third perpendicular to the parallel of the former two. Each of these rollers, three of `which are numbered 31,'32 and 33, travel along a rail of the type numbered 34 which is attached -to a base member 35 which in turn is fastened to the ship 14.

The basic structural member 36 is controlled and towed by cable 37 and is attached t-o an individual barge by its pivoted seat 38. When not in use, this seat will rest on the top of the basic structural member. When in use, it is llipped over so that the seat 38 engages a corner post 39 of -a barge 41 and rests on a supporting plate 40 fastened to that post.

FIGURE shows the positioning of these barge handling carriages 80, 81 and 82 in the structure of the ship 14. FIGURE 11 shows how one of these carriages whose basic structural member 36 is towed by cable 37 may be operated by two motors 42 and 43. Once the barge is positioned yby these means, it can be lsecured by any ordinary means.

FIGURE 14 shows a detail view of a type of roller 6 suitable for use in supporting the weight of the barges. This type roller has a shaft 50, a hub `51 and a tire 52. The remaining parts of this type roller are well known and need no further description.

According to this further embodiment, an ocean-going barge carrier arrives in port and anchors, as it does not need berthing space. It lowers its barge elevator platform to a submergence level deep enough to allow the barges to oat freely. These barges are towed away from the stern of the ship and are on their way ifor delivery. The barge elevator platform is then raised to the level of any of the barge decks, another barge or barges rolled onto the platform by means of one of the barge handling carriers, and the platform re-submerged to allow these barges to be floated away. The process is repeated until the carrier is unloaded. After the carrier is unloaded, it may be re-loaded with other barges in the reverse manner.

This invention should not be limited to the particular form represented in the drawings, but should include such advances as the utilization of an open uppermost deck for storage of barges, a deck well loading opening from the side or bow as well as from the stern of the carrier, :and other various changes in form while preserving the substantive concepts.

In the case of moving barges from the elevator in-to the interior of the vessel other means may be utilized including hydraulic and mechanical lifting devices which can lift the barges -a short height with the barge and the lifting device being towed as a unit to its destinction on the deck. On :arrival the lifting device will be lowered and the barge secured in place. The Ilifting device will then `be available for yet another barge.

It is claimed:

1. In a marine carrier of the type comprising a hull, a plurality of storage decks, one above the other, each having at least one loading opening through the carrier hull at the level thereof, and means for selectively submerging the carrier to Waterlines above each of said decks, whereby barges may ybe floated into and out of place on each of said decks, the improved construction in which at least the uppermost storage -deck is an unobstructed, generally plane area bounded by substantially straight and parallel tfore and aft bulkheads set apart by at least half the total Width of the carrier whereby barges substantially equal in width to the spacing between said 'bulkheads may be stored there-on, the loading openings to said storage decks are at least as wide as said spacing, and the loading opening of at least the lowest storage deck is provided with water-tight sealing means.

2. In a marine carrier of the type described in claim 1, the improved construction in which at least the uppermost storage deck is 1an unobstructed, generally plane area bounded by substantially straight and parallel fore and aft Ibulkheads -set apart by at least Ifour-fifths the t-otal width of the carrier.

3.' In .a marine carrier of the type described in claim 1, the improved construction in which the uppermost and at least one other storage deck are substantially similar, unobstructed, generally plane areas, each of which is bounded by substantially straight and parallel fore and aft bulkheads set apart by at least half the total Width yof the carrier.

4. In a marine carrier of the type described in claim 1, the improved construction in which the uppermost and at least one other storage deck are substantially similar, unobstructed, generally plane areas, each of which is bounded by substantially straight and parallel tore and aft bulkheads set apart by at least four-lifths t-he total width of the carrier.

5. In a marine carrier of the type described in claim 1, the improved construction in which at least the uppermost storage deck is an unobstructed, generally plane area bounded -by substantially straight and parallel lfore and aft Ibulkheads set apart by at least two-thirds the total width of the carrier.

6. In a lmarine carrier of the type described in yclaim 1, the improved construction in which the uppermost and at least one other storage deck are substantially similar, unobstructed, `generally yplane areas, eachV of which is bounded by substantially' straight and parallel fore and aft bilkheads set apart by at least two-thirds the total width of the carrier.r

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1914 Ballin and Dodge 114-435 10/1938 Baer 114-435 

1. IN A MARINE CARRIER OF THE TYPE COMPRISING A HULL, A PLURALITY OF STORAGE DECKS, ONE ABOVE THE OTHER, EACH HAVING AT LEAST ONE LOADING OPENING THROUGH THE CARRIER HULL AT THE LEVEL THEREOF, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY SUBMERGING THE CARRIER TO WATERLINES ABOVE EACH OF SAID DECKS, WHEREBY BARGES MAY BE FLOATED INTO AND OUT OF PLACE ON EACH OF SAID DECKS, THE IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION IN WHICH AT LEAST THE UPPERMOST STORAGE DECK IS AN UNOBSTRUCTED, GENERALLY PLANE AREA BOUNDED BY SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT AND PARALLEL FORE AND AFT BULKHEADS SET APART BY AT LEAST HALF THE TOTAL WIDTH OF THE CARRIER WHEREBY BARGES SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN WIDTH TO THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID BULKHEADS MAY BE STORED THEREON, THE LOADING OPENINGS TO SAID STORAGE DECKS ARE AT LEAST AS WIDE AS SAID SPACING, AND THE LOADING OPENING OF AT LEAST THE LOWEST STORAGE DECK IS PROVIDED WITH WATER-TIGHT SEALING MEANS. 